Melo is the problem in New York in that he doesnít fit the mold of a championship-caliber superstar. Heís one of the absolute best all-around scorers in the NBA, but his game just lacks the other aspects needed to elevate a team from postseason fodder to championship contender, and his poor attitude has a lot to do with it. He gives inconsistent effort on the defensive end and on the glass and his love for isolation basketball can kill all offensive flow. But whatís frustrating is that he doesnít have to be a ball-stopper or a defensive sieve or a locker room problem. He has the tools to be so much more than that. He just doesnít know how to put them to effective use.

That said, Amare is a shell of his former self and itís clear that his contract will be a bigger issue for the Knicks than Melo going forward.

With regards to the Finals, itís clear that Kevin Durant is locked and loaded right now. Heís been borderline inhuman so far and I donít think that kind of automatic focus is going to subside as the series wears on. Heís a prolific scorer that can get his shot off whenever he wants against whoever he wants.

The obvious problem for the Thunder has been starting, but I think being on the road has the potential to help them in that area. Their home fans are so rabid and the atmosphere that goes with that franchiseís first Finals appearance was so electric. As the series moves to Miami, and a more subdued home court, it allows the Thunder to narrow their attention to just their basketball.

Other than coming out harder, I donít expect the Thunder to make a ton of adjustments. For starters, the defender responsible for Battier either needs to cheat less or close quicker. Battier isnít going to shoot almost 70% from downtown all series, but heís still a capable sharpshooter that needs to be curbed at this point. Heís nailed a few momentum-swinging threes. And Russell Westbrookís showing in Game 2 wasnít the worst point guard performance in the Finals of all-time. Thatís ridiculous. Westbrook has his stretches of questionable shot selection, but he still creates splashes and gives the Heat a lot to think about. Coming out in Game 3, Iíd like to see him be more aggressive. With his explosiveness, he can get to his spots on the court. He doesnít need to settle for long, contested jumpers from the start. He needs to pound the paint and get to the rim or utilize that improved pull-up in the process. Just needs to be in attack mode from tip-to-buzzer.

As far as Miami goes, the offense still bogs down for extended periods of time. The side pick-and-rolls for LeBron and Wade created a good amount of offense against the Pacers and Celtics, but the Thunder have much better foot speed to mirror and range to recover. When their offense stagnates with isolation sets, Miami struggles to get good shots on a consistent basis, putting extra pressure on their superstars to make the tough ones. Most of these games are decided in a small window, which makes offensive execution and getting good shots at crucial times critical. From what Iíve seen, I have more confidence in the Thunder to do that than I do the Heat. Thatís the reason the Heatís perimeter defense is one of the ultimate deciders in this series for me. Because in addition to battling the Thunderís power hitters, the trio of Battier, Wade, and LeBron can manufacture offense in transition via generating turnovers on defense.

Speaking of which, LeBron is the best defender in the NBA. Howard and Chandler are world-class defenders in their own right, and deserve their accolades, but neither can do what LeBron does because LeBron is such a flexible, versatile defender. He can guard one-to-five on most nights and do a superb job at each. He can stick with the opposing teamís best perimeter scorer or drop down and become a stout post defender. His supreme athleticism is a big factor in his defensive success, but he still understands concepts like maintaining sound positioning. Heís just such a rare, remarkable talent.

I'm not ready to say Amar'e a shell of the player he was, because he still had games where they actually went to him early, while he was healthy, and he beasted. The condensed schedule and the personal tragedy in his life really took a tole on him. He was a shell of the player he used to be last season, but I still think he could return to form. Especially since he won't need to be slimming down during the season now that he knows we have Chandler and he won't be playing the 5.

My biggest worry is Melo, specifically how long it takes him to make decisions, the man almost never catches the ball and rapidly does something with it, if he's going to pass he needs to hold it and survey the court, if he's going to try to score he needs to hold the ball for a little bit while he decides how he's going to do that. If he could make his decisions quicker I'd have much less concerns about him, regardless of whether he made better decisions or not.

__________________
BK

Quote:

Originally Posted by AcheTen

JPP is a better and more productive player than Brandon Graham

Quote:

Originally Posted by abaddon41_80

Is Shaun Hill a top 10 QB? Definitely not. Is he a top 20 one? Almost certainly.

Melo is the problem in New York in that he doesnít fit the mold of a championship-caliber superstar. Heís one of the absolute best all-around scorers in the NBA, but his game just lacks the other aspects needed to elevate a team from postseason fodder to championship contender, and his poor attitude has a lot to do with it. He gives inconsistent effort on the defensive end and on the glass and his love for isolation basketball can kill all offensive flow. But whatís frustrating is that he doesnít have to be a ball-stopper or a defensive sieve or a locker room problem. He has the tools to be so much more than that. He just doesnít know how to put them to effective use.

That said, Amare is a shell of his former self and itís clear that his contract will be a bigger issue for the Knicks than Melo going forward.

With regards to the Finals, itís clear that Kevin Durant is locked and loaded right now. Heís been borderline inhuman so far and I donít think that kind of automatic focus is going to subside as the series wears on. Heís a prolific scorer that can get his shot off whenever he wants against whoever he wants.

The obvious problem for the Thunder has been starting, but I think being on the road has the potential to help them in that area. Their home fans are so rabid and the atmosphere that goes with that franchiseís first Finals appearance was so electric. As the series moves to Miami, and a more subdued home court, it allows the Thunder to narrow their attention to just their basketball.

Other than coming out harder, I donít expect the Thunder to make a ton of adjustments. For starters, the defender responsible for Battier either needs to cheat less or close quicker. Battier isnít going to shoot almost 70% from downtown all series, but heís still a capable sharpshooter that needs to be curbed at this point. Heís nailed a few momentum-swinging threes. And Russell Westbrookís showing in Game 2 wasnít the worst point guard performance in the Finals of all-time. Thatís ridiculous. Westbrook has his stretches of questionable shot selection, but he still creates splashes and gives the Heat a lot to think about. Coming out in Game 3, Iíd like to see him be more aggressive. With his explosiveness, he can get to his spots on the court. He doesnít need to settle for long, contested jumpers from the start. He needs to pound the paint and get to the rim or utilize that improved pull-up in the process. Just needs to be in attack mode from tip-to-buzzer.

As far as Miami goes, the offense still bogs down for extended periods of time. The side pick-and-rolls for LeBron and Wade created a good amount of offense against the Pacers and Celtics, but the Thunder have much better foot speed to mirror and range to recover. When their offense stagnates with isolation sets, Miami struggles to get good shots on a consistent basis, putting extra pressure on their superstars to make the tough ones. Most of these games are decided in a small window, which makes offensive execution and getting good shots at crucial times critical. From what Iíve seen, I have more confidence in the Thunder to do that than I do the Heat. Thatís the reason the Heatís perimeter defense is one of the ultimate deciders in this series for me. Because in addition to battling the Thunderís power hitters, the trio of Battier, Wade, and LeBron can manufacture offense in transition via generating turnovers on defense.

Speaking of which, LeBron is the best defender in the NBA. Howard and Chandler are world-class defenders in their own right, and deserve their accolades, but neither can do what LeBron does because LeBron is such a flexible, versatile defender. He can guard one-to-five on most nights and do a superb job at each. He can stick with the opposing teamís best perimeter scorer or drop down and become a stout post defender. His supreme athleticism is a big factor in his defensive success, but he still understands concepts like maintaining sound positioning. Heís just such a rare, remarkable talent.

He made it look like he got fouled. Just like the next trip down didn't get touched but shot it like he got contact. But Dwade has always been great at that, it's all a part of the game. He so many times kicks guys in the balls and gets the foul call.